Top 10 Best Zoos In The World

Here are the top 10 best zoos in the world with their names, locations, and a brief description. We hope that they peek your curiosity and you’ll visit one of these spectacular locations during your travels.

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10. Zoo Praha, Prague, Czech Republic

Established in 1931, Zoo Praha is the largest zoo (111 acres) in Prague, located in the Troja district of northern Prague. It cares for more than 4,422 domestic and endangered animals (672 species) from around the world. The park hosts more than 1.2 million visitors each year. The Indonesian Jungle and the Monkey Island are Zoo Praha’s most popular pavilions displaying a variety of jungle flora and fauna. The zoo is also great for families as the children’s corner allows for their interaction and feeding of domestic animals like rabbits, lambs, ponies, and geese. It is the largest breeder in the world of the Przewalski horse, reining in the breed from the brink of extinction. Zoo Praha is very active in protecting endangered species through their reintroduction of animals back into the wild or to reserves. Upon visiting the zoo, it is recommended that you allot 4-6 hours to go through the park, as it has varying terrains, and to take advantage of its tours and educational activities.

9. Zoo Basel, Basel, Switzerland

Zoo Basel opened its doors on July 3, 1874 as a 32 acre, not-for-profit zoo in the city of Basel, Switzerland. Formally named the Basel Zoological Garden, the park is affectionately referred to as Zolli by city residents. Starting off as an exhibit of local wildlife, Zoo Basel expanded with exotic animals to arouse greater public interest. In 1891, the first exotic animal that arrived was Miss Kumbuk, an Asian elephant. Now with over 1.8 million visitors annually, Zoo Basel maintains more than 5,000 animals of nearly 600 species. Three quarters of the mammal species is used for breeding with successes of the Indian rhinoceros and pygmy hippopotamus. Future plans of the zoo include Ozeanium, Switzerland’s first large-scale ocean aquarium which will stretch from Heuwaage Square to downtown Steinen. Ozeanium is expected to open in 2019.

8. National Zoological Gardens of South Africa,Pretoria, South Africa

The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa is a 210 acre zoo in Pretoria, South Africa founded by J.W.B. Gunning in 1899. The park manages more than 10,000 specimens and 600 species of animals, mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, invertebrates, and amphibians. In addition, the park is the largest zoo in the country and provides a facility for research, training and science advancement. NZG is a proud facility of the National Research Foundation. More than 600,000 visitors come to the zoo each year. The Aquarium is the largest marine aquarium in the country. The Reptile Park is another great attraction and the park hosts the third largest collection of exotic trees.

7. Bronx Zoo, Bronx, New York

The Bronx Zoo opened its doors on November 8, 1899 and is the world’s largest metropolitan zoo located in the Bronx borough of New York City. The park works with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It hosts some 6,000 animals which includes 650 species from around the world. The zoo receives 700,000 visitors each year. The WCS supports conservation efforts as far away as Africa and sends animals around the country to breed. The zoo staff advises that the entire zoo cannot be seen in one day. The suggestion is to take shorter 2-hr visits to popular exhibits, i.e. Tiger Mountain, Himalayan Highlands, Congo Gorilla Forest, and the World of Reptiles.

6. Smithsonian Zoological Park, Washington, DC

Commonly known as the National Zoo, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park is one of the oldest (1889) zoos in America. Since it is a part of the Smithsonian Institute, there is no charge for admission. The great exhibits on the 163 acre property are the Great Cats, Reptile Discovery, and the Great Ape House. The other facility associated with the park is the 3,200 acre campus called the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. The SBCI is a non-public facility concerned with training staff in conservation biology and breeding rare species through natural and assisted reproduction. Both facilities manage 2,000 animals of 400 differing species.

5. San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California

The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park houses over 3,700 animals of more than 650 species/subspecies. Established in 1916, the zoo came into existence following the abandonment of exhibitions after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. The park is one of four zoos in the U.S. to have the giant panda display, and was the most successful in panda reproduction. Opening its doors to more than 5,000,000 visitors each year, the San Diego Zoo hosts major exhibits like Absolutely Apes, Monkey Trails, Elephant Odyssey, Panda Trek, and Polar Bear Plunge. The parent company, San Diego Zoo Global is the largest zoological membership association in the world. It also pioneered the concept of open-air, cage-less exhibits that re-create an animal’s natural habitat.

4. Animal Kingdom, Bay Lake, Florida

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a 500 acre resort which opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998. It is the only park that is themed completely around animal conservation. Over 1,000,000 visit the park each year. The Animal Kingdom is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, thus meeting or exceeding standards in education, conservation, and research. Since Disney describes itself as a zoological park, it engages in research and conservation. Since its opening day, the park’s local herd produced 6 elephant calves and giraffes had a total of eleven new births.

3. Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Toronto Zoo opened on August 15, 1974, encompassing 710 acres and is the largest zoo in Canada. The park houses 5,000 animals representing over 450 species and is divided into seven regions, i.e. Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia, and the Canadian Domain. Each region would exhibit plants and animals from that part of the world. The Toronto Zoo has worked with other accredited zoos around the world to conserve endangered species and has seen positive results in the joint efforts. This park was the first to establish a captive breeding program for the black-footed ferrets with a goal of releasing them back into the wild. They released more than 120 animals in 2011. In 2014, the zoo is anticipating 1,500,000 visits

2. Schonbrunner Zoo, Vienna, Austria

Also called Tiergarten Schonbrunn or the Vienna Zoo was founded in 1752 as the imperial menagerie on the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria and is the oldest zoo in the world. It is considered a scientifically administered zoo and is at the center of species and general nature conservation. The preserved buildings on the grounds are of the baroque era. It is one of the few zoos worldwide to house giant pandas. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park cares for more than 700 animal species on 395 acres, and receives more than 2,000,000 annual visitors.

1. Singapore Zoo, Singapore

Formerly the Singapore Zoological Gardens, and commonly known as the Mandai Zoo consists of 69 acres and was established on June 27, 1963. Attracting 1,700,000 visitors each year, the Singapore Zoo is operated by the Wildlife Reserves Singapore. This award winning facility manages leisure attractions that foster conservation and research while educating guests about animals in their natural habitat. The WRS was the first zoological institution in Southeast Asia to achieve ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification in environmental, health and safety standards. There are 2530 animals, 315 species of animals in the Singapore Zoo, with the popular exhibits being the Polar Bears, Proboscis Monkeys, and the elephants of Asia.

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